VIENNA’S Sofie Fatourechi has moved from behind the scenes at California’s ice-cool Stone’s Throw imprint to hog a little of the spotlight, with a very finely crafted album of sophisticated, wholly European pop, Cult Survivor, released in June.
We reviewed it here, found much to love in the autobiographical, nuanced songcraft; we said of it: “It’s so cool, it’s erudite, and it will unfold graciously in your life rather than arrive at the door unannounced at midnight, clutching Pernod.”.
Think Francoise Hardy; think Carla Bruni, we noted.
And today she has released a video for one of the album’s standout tracks, the cool yearn of “Georgia Waves”, in which our protagonist recounts her impressions of Georgia, a girl with great hair “who always expected the most” and who “never dared to dream”.
Inspired by the classic songsmithery of Gainsbourg and Rundgren, it takes a fine early 70s’ piano auteur riff, blends it with what Sofie says is a semi-autobiographical lyric – that universal experience of looking at an effortlessly cool compatriot and kinda, y’know, wishing you were them – and stirs in a knowingly rawk guitar break, as cool as it is retro; a little bit Lemon Twigs – all topped off with this continental pop feel that’s somehow mid-60s and at the same time, early 80s. There’s knowledge and nous and compositional chops written right through it.
The video was shot in Indiana by Kirk von Heflin, known for his work in Danceteria and Studio 54 in the 1980s. You can watch below.
Sofie’s very sweet and sophisticated Cult Survivor is out now on digital and vinyl; you can order a copy here.
